Solid Ground
by Spoot Poot
Summary: Slanted view, looking at it all from a slanted view. A dangerous mission indeed...


Spoot: WOW!

Duo: What?

Spoot: you know!

Solid Ground

Heero always seemed to have his feet in the air, never wanting to stay put for too long. His idea of commitment was a 3 day stay in some seedy hotel. No phone, no pool, no pets. That's what he was used to. He wasn't the type to hang his hat. He never unpacked anything, and never gave the cat a name. Belonging to no one, and owning nothing. His mind was set on overdrive, and to be honest, he liked it that way. Those who live on the edge of sanity know exactly how he feels.

This day, like every other day, he awoke to an empty hotel room, with someone banging on the door, demanding he either leave, or pay for an extra day. Being on a mission, he had no choice, but to sneak out the back window and high tail it to the next rest stop. In the middle of his rush to find his gun and other assorted affects, the door swung open, and he immediately pointed his 9mm in the face, of the one…the only…Duo Maxwell.

"Your face is priceless!" Duo laughed out, not even shocked that the gun was touching his nose. Heero lowered his weapon, and scratched his head. "How did you-"

"I heard you were in the neighborhood, so I decided to drop by, and say hi." Duo said, with a smile all for the other man. "Who told you I was here?" He asked, sitting on the bed. Duo walked across the room, and found something to play with on the dresser. "None of your beeswax, RAMONA!" He snapped. Heero looked confused, not getting the joke. "Anyway, so, where you headed? New Edwards?" He asked, setting down his play thing, and turning to the boy. Heero nodded.

"Want some company?" Duo asked. Heero shook his head. Duo put his hands on his hips. "Well, too bad, from here on out, I'm with you on this!" Heero lifted his gun, putting it under Duo's chin, lifting the boys head with it. "I don't think so." He said simply. Duo didn't look too scared, more mad than anything. His brow furrowed and he grit some teeth, but nothing more. "This is my mission, so don't get comfortable." Heero concluded, removing his gun, and putting it in its proper place. Duo said nothing as he crossed the room once more, finding his play thing. "I can't abide by that." He said simply.

Now Heero was a calm man. Only losing his cool once in a blue moon. Well, the moon was almost purple. He stood up and crossed the room, finding himself by Duo's side. "Either you leave now, or I kill you." He stated, expecting Duo to giggle, and let on that he was only joking, and take an exit. Heero was taken by surprise when the other boy turned, and looked him right in the eye. "Then kill me." He said. His features almost to stern to belong to him. Heero pulled his gun out, and pointed it, ready to fire a few rounds. The boys stood face to face, standing off.

Duo laughed hard when Heero dropped his arm, and lowered his eyes. "I thought so." Duo said, putting his arm around the other boys shoulder. "We're in this together. Don't ask me why, I just wanna help, ok." Heero shot him a look, keeping his face flat, almost…deflated. Duo let out another chuckle. "Would you just trust me!" He snapped, letting the boy go, and pushing him a bit. "I know that's hard for you, but just try." Feeling even more defeated by the other boy, he sat on the bed. "What's your angle?" He asked. Duo was back to playing with the thing of interest, He looked up, and smiled. "I need one?" He asked. Heero frowned. "Yeah. You don't just come here from somewhere just to hang out."

"Who said I was hanging out, I told you…I came to help out with this mission. I think its bullshit that you gotta go through it alone. And you said it yourself, I'm the best man for any job. The best you got. We're buds, right?"

"Buds?" Heero asked, clearly confused by the terminology. Duo nodded. "Yeah, friends. Comrades. We are, right?" Heero looked off to the side, unwilling to answer. "Are we not?" Duo asked again, approaching the other boy. He didn't receive an answer. "I thought we were…" Duo said softly. The tone shocked Heero, to his core. He jerked his head up to see Duo leaving the room. "Wait!"

Duo turned, almost out the door. "I…" Heero began, but couldn't find the words. He stood up, and walked over to the dresser. The trinket Duo had been playing with, was an old pocket watch, he had given Heero. "You kept that. So I thought…but…I guess I was-"

"You're not wrong." Heero interrupted. Duo stood there dumbfounded for a moment, then got a calm look on his face. That was as good as it was gunna get with Heero. The boy was uneasy with things like feelings and friendships, Duo recalled this, and quickly let it go. "Ok, So…what all do I need to take on New Edwards?" Heero looked to his right, at a duffle bag on the floor. "Everything you need is in there, just take what you need. No catch." Duo walked over and began to dig, smiling every now and then, at the toys he could play with.

"We'll start here…" Duo said, as he pointed a finger on the blueprints of the base. "Then work our way here." He concluded as he slid his finger across the page. Heero looked him over, then nodded, and took up the papers. "Rendezvous point?" He asked. Duo just smiled. "The same place we met." With that being said, he hoisted a duffle bag over his shoulder and headed to the door. Same place? What place? What did that mean? Heero couldn't recall, so he asked. Duo was once again, almost out the door, when he turned around. "You don't remember! The place we first met! Where I shot you and all that." Heero looked confused so Duo rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. "The place where you dumped our Gundams. The first time we met was right there. You were with Snotty"

"Snotty?"

"Relena"

"Oh…"

He did remember the place. He knew exactly what Duo was talking about. He never would have expected the boy to remember all that though. And for what reason? He sounded like a woman. Heero rolled his eyes as he threw a bag full of C4 onto a platform, then hoisted himself up onto it as well. Why would Duo remember all that? For that matter, why did _he_ remember. He shook thoughts from his mind as he began his work of placing the charges. The feeling he had though, was odd. He couldn't shake a nagging feeling that something was out of place. Was it just him, or was there indeed something amiss?

He places the final charge and looked around. So far he was safe from anything other than his nagging thoughts. He darted to the nearest hiding spot, and pulled out his com unit. "We're a go on my end." He said when he heard feedback. "Roger that, I ran into a bit of trouble here in the south end…" Duo's voice sounded amused almost. "Are you alright?"

"Nothing I can't handle. But that's sweet of you to ask!"

"Will you be serious!"

"I am...shit…call you back sugar lips!" with that, the feed was gone. Heero rolled his eyes. "What is wrong with you…" He muttered, then put the com unit in his pants, and went on his way.

Before he knew it, he found himself heading in Duo's direction. When he snapped to that fact, he stopped dead in his tracks, making a squeak erupt from his shoes. "What the hell am I doing?" He mumbled. He looked down the darkened, ominous hall way. "No…no, he's fine…he can handle anything." He assured himself. He stood there, shuffling, and swaying his weight from one foot to the other for a moment, as he glared down the hall. He bit his lip and took a deep breath. "Fuck it." He snapped, and made a mad dash down the hall.

He skid past a room with an open door, then back tracked to see none other than Duo, standing over an comatose solder. Heero found himself breathing a sigh of relief for some odd reason. Duo looked over his shoulder when he noticed he wasn't alone. In a flash he drew his gun, unaware that his new roomie was Heero. "Damn it man! Don't sneak up on a guy!" He snapped, holstering his weapon. "Sorry." Heero mumbled. "It's ok…so, I see you were worried about me!" Heero's face burned a bright shade of pink for a second, then he was back to his stoic self. "Thought so." Was all Duo had to say, as he walked past his partner, and out into the hall.

"I…I knew you could handle it." Heero began. The two boys were making their way to check point three. Duo looked over his shoulder, flashing one of his legendary smiles. "Then…why'd you come a runnin'?" He mocked. Heero just lowered his eyes to the floor. "It's ok you know…" The sound in Duo's voice made it hard to understand. Heero looked up, and watched the other boy's back as he walked. "It's ok to be afraid, to fear the worst, and worry about someone. Hell, I worry about you all the time. I don't go gallivanting off down a hallway of course…" Heero furrowed his brow.

"But I do worry. When you don't contact anyone for a whole month. If you're eating or not, or if you're getting enough sleep…" Duo took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "Ah, but listen to me. I'm sure by now you're as mad as a hatter at me!" He chuckled, but there was no response from the other boy. Duo stopped walking and turned to face him. He had his eyes on the floor, fixated on the tiles. "Man, I really did piss you off…" Duo said in a hushed tone. Heero, he could only hear the sound of his heart beating in his ears. "Damn…just shoot me…" Duo said with a snort.

Shock took hold of him when Heero raised his arm slowly, in his hand his gun. He still had his head down, his eyes closed tight, his arm holding up the weapon, was flimsy and limp. "HEY! You're really gunna shoot me! Heero listen buddy…huh?" Duo was cut off by the other boy resting his gun on his strong chest. He inched a bit closer keeping his eyes shut tight, his head forever down. "Heero, look, whatever I said…I mean…If you're gunna shoot, don't miss…I mean…Heero?" The said boy was breaking down in a fit of a tremble. "You cold 'Ro? What's up with you?" Heero began to drop to his knees, unable to find solid ground where he stood. Duo was right there in catching him. The two lowered to the floor slowly, Duo being careful not to drop his wilted partner.

No one cared for this nameless boy, not anyone! Yet here was this kid, with his halfwit ways, and goofy grin, giving a shit. It was almost too much for Heero to comprehend. "I think, what you really need…is a break." Duo spoke in his ear. "I mean, all this hustle and bustle is great, and good for kicks, but at the end of the day, what are you left with? A few broken bones, and an empty gut." He chuckled and looked down at the top of Heero's head. "I mean, I know I hate it."

Finding the courage somewhere deep within, Heero looked up, and opened his eyes, to connect them with Duo's. The said boy just smiled that all too familiar smile. As if to say, he understood. "Tell you what, when all this is said and done…how bout I come back with you, we get a nice room, just the two of us, and I cook you something…edible!" Heero was still having trouble concentrating, and he felt on the verge of throwing up, or passing out…whichever came first he would go with. "Then it's a plan." Duo concluded, pulling his comrade to his unstable feet. "How does Chilly Cheese Dogs sound to you?"

Heero swayed for a moment, with Duo right there to steady him. "I…" He choked out, then looked down at the floor once more. "You're starting to really worry me here 'Ro. This isn't like you at all…are you sick or something? Are you injured?" All Heero could do was shake his head at every inquiry. "Well then what is it! What's got you so outta whack! You're all…wonky and shit! Startn' to scare me…" Heero looked up at him once more. He felt like he was in another dimension. He could feel the room spin as he tried to focus his sight on just the white collar of Duo's outfit, it was bouncing, or…cascading, like a slot machine. "I feel…" He began, but found himself in Duo's arms.

Had he been dreaming? Did Duo actually catch him? He remembered going forward, as everything went black. Yes, right into Duo's body. "Embarrassing…" He murmured. He took a look around the room. It was nice, and kept up with. Clean and smelling of jasmine. The bathroom door opened, and out walked Duo, drying his hands. "Ah! He lives!" Heero looked up, in shock. "Doc says you're fine, you were just hungry and sleep deprived! Damn it Heero, how do you expect to get anything done when you're falling out like that! Got me worried and shit! I should bop you good!" He said, shaking a playful fist. "I…I was just tired…yeah…Sorry…" He said softly.

Duo crossed the room, tossing his paper towel in the little trash, then sat on the bed by the other boys' feet. "As long as you're safe now, I could care less what all you said."

"Said?" Heero snapped. Duo chuckled. "Oh yeah…you talk in your sleep, snore too!"

"What…what did I say?" Heero asked. Duo just wagged a finger back and forth. "Doesn't matter now." He smiled and leaned in close. "Because now I know how you really feel…"

"Duo, I was out of it…you hear me out of-" before he could finish his statement, Duo had planted a passionate kiss, right on his lips, shutting him up for good. At first, Heero found himself at a loss, but with every move the other boy made, Heero found himself deepening the kiss, placing hands on the other boy in a way he would have never dreamed. Slowly, ever so slowly, Heero found himself reaching for this affection. Slowly, he began to agree with the cosmos as they urged him to let go, and finally put his feet on solid ground.

Duo: YAAAY!

Spoot: Its over!

Quatre: We did it!

Duo: you didn't do shit!


End file.
